Apparatus for grooving paper cups and the like



March l, 1955 C, Wi GOODWIN 2,703,042

APPARATUS FOR GROOVING PAPER CUPS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 26, 1954 2,703,042 APPARATUS Fon GRoovING PAPER cUPs can w. Goodwin, Plainfield, N. J., signor tu consteuation Cup Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Appunti@ Januar-y 26, v1954, serial No. 406,252 4 claim. (cl. sbs-55.1)

This invention relates to apparatus for forming a disc seating groove in the inner surface of paper cups or the like and has for an object to provide apparatus of the above type having novel and improved details of construction and features of operation.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the above type which is adapted to be incorporated in a cup making machine.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

The invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a cup-grooving apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section, on a larger scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing the grooving roller retracted; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cam-carrying ring shown in Figures 1 to 4. f

Referring to the drawing more in detail the device is shown as comprising a housing '10 which is attached by bolt 11 to an arm 12 of a cup making machine which is reciprocated vertically between predetermined limits by any suitable means, not shown. A dowel pin 13 secures the housing in proper alignment with the arm 12.

The housing has an internally threaded bore 15 carrying an externally threaded sleeve 16. A bearing sleeve 17 is mounted in sleeve 16 for limited axial sliding movement. Relative rotation of the sleeves 16 and 17 is prevented by a key 18. The sleeve 17 has a top ange 19 acting as a stop to limit the downward movement of the sleeve 17 in the sleeve 16. Y

The sleeve 17 carries spaced radial ball bearings 20 and 21 carrying a rotary sleeve 22 in which a shaft 23 is press fitted. A belt pulley 24 is keyed to the shaft 23 by a key 25 and is secured by a nut 26. A spacer 27 on the shaft 23 permits the pulley 24 to be spaced as desired from the top of the rotary sleeve 22. The pulley 24 is driven at a uniform speed by a belt 28 from a suitable driven source not shown.

The lower end of the shaft 23 is pinned by a pin 30 to a block 31 carrying on opposite sides rollers 32 mounted on ball bearings 33 and secured to the block 31 by screws 34. A slide 35 is dovetailed into the block 31 to slide transversely against the action of springs 36. The slide 35 carries a pin 37 on which is journaled a grooving roller 38 ball bearing mounted and having a grooving flange 39.

A ring 40 is Vslidably mounted around a sleeve 41 on the shaft 23 and carries a finger 42 which projects downwardly into the block 31 and has a cam surface 43 engaging a similar surface 44 on the slide 35 to shift the slide radially against the action of the springs 36 in response to axial movement of the ring 40 and nger 42. A compression spring 38, seated between the block 31 and a collar 49 on the ring 40, tends to hold the ring 40 and finger 42 retracted from the block 31.

A thrust bearing 50 is seated between the ring 40 and the bottom of the threaded sleeve 16 to hold the ring 40 in fixed position relative to the threaded sleeve 15.

A cup carrier 52 carrying a paper cup 53 to be 8 lgrooved, is mounted on a dial plate 54 which forms a l2,703,042 latlented Mar. l,

part of a cup making machine and is mounted to be shifted by suitable means not shown into position axially' beloyv the shaft 23 for the grooving operation. The carrier 52 has an internal groove 55 registering with the cup groove 56 which is formed by the grooving roller 38 and of a depth to provide clearance ywith the outer -bead 57` of the cup so as to avoid damage to the parts in -the event Vof any foreign substance in the groove 55 or anyirregularity in the operation.

The carrier 52 has a top ange 58 on which the rollers 32 ride during the grooving operation. Y,

In the operation of this apparatus with the cam operated arm 12 in raised position the rollers 32 are out of engagement with the ange 58 of the cup carrier 52 and the compression spring 48 holds the block 31 in extended yposition with respect to the cam finger 42 so that the springs 36 hold the slide 35 retracted as shown in Fig. 3, but with the grooving roller 38 raised above the top of the cup 53. With the arm 12 and associated parts in this position the dial plate 54 is indexed to shift a previously grooved cup out of registry with the grooving apparatus Aand to bring a cup carrier 52 with an ungrooved cup into axial alignment with the shaft 23.

With the cup thus held in grooving position the arm 12 descends. When the rollers 32 engage the flange 58 further downward movement of the rotating block 31 is prevented. Hence the block 31, shaft 23, bearings 20 and 21, and bearing sleeve 17 slide upwardly in the threaded sleeve 16, compressing the spring 48 and causing relative movement between the cam iinger 42 and the slide 35 which extends the slide to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby bringing the grooving roller 38 into engagement with the cup wall to form the inner groove 56 in the cup with the outer bead in the groove 55 of the cup carrier 52. The rotating shaft 23 causes the grooving roller 38 to roll around the inner periphery of the cup and force the material of the cup into the groove 55 to a depth determined by the limit of movement of the cam nger 42 with respect to the block 31. This limit can be adjusted by screwing the threaded sleeve 16 up or down in the housing 10, thereby varying the elevation of the grooving mechanism with respect to the cam operated arm 12.

After the grooving operation the arm 12 again lifts the housing 10, threaded sleeve 16 and ring 40. The spring 48 holds the rollers 32 on the flange 58 until the flange 19 ot` the bearing sleeve 17 engages the top of the threaded sleeve 16. At this point the cam nger 41 is entirely retracted to the position of Fig. 3, retracting the grooving roller 38 from the cup wall. The apparatus s then raised as a unit to clear the top of the cup 53 and permit indexing of the dial plate 54 for shifting the cup carrier 52 out of the path of the grooving mechanism. The cup 53 may be then removed from the carrier by suitable means not shown.

Obviously the slide 35 may be mounted in other ways for lateral movement with respect to the block 31, for example by a hinged arm or the like. Other and equiv` alent means may also be employed to provide relative movement between the cam finger 41 and the slide 35.

The grooving apparatus may be used with any standard type of cup making machine having a vertically reciprocating arm 12 synchronized with the movement of a dial plate 54 or it may be used independently of a cup making machine.

Although a specific embodiment has been shown for purposes of illustration the invention may be adapted to various uses as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for grooving paper cups or the like, comprising a cup holder having a groove registering with the groove to be formed in the cup, a grooving roller adapted to cooperate with said holder groove to form the cup groove, a vertically movable housing, a shaft rotatable in said housing and mounted for limited axial movement therein, a support member connected to rotate with said shaft, a second member carrying said grooving roller carried by said support member and movable 0 transversely thereof so as to shift said grooving roller movement of said support member with the grooving r`61l'e`r' r gistr't with s'id lld gv'e, cam' member movable with saidllousiug having a cam surface connected to shift said second member angl said o/ng roller twrdly for' forriiin'g'- sa'id g'r'oo've ir' the' in''ei wall of `eaid cub. V

2'. Apparatus asfse't forthy in claim l iii which said can mr'r'ib'e'r comprises' a rg'er extending' axially into said support member and having a ca'rnV surface engaging said second member. y

3'. Apparatus for `grooving paper cups or the like,l cop'rising a cup holder having a groove registering with the vgroove to be formed in-mthecp', groovin'g' roller a'dlbtd to cooperate withsaid holder groove to form the cup groove, a vertically movable housing-,a1l shaftv rotatable in said housing'` and mounted for limitedaXal rifi'overiienttherein,- a support member' connected to7 ro# tate with said shaft;` a'vsefc'od, member Carr-ying said gdovin'gr'oller carriedv by said support memb and slidable transversely thereof so as to shift said groovi'ng" ll'r" 'radi'lly 'f 's'id s'lft, t`o'i` ens to' limit the downward movement of said support member with the grooving roller in registration with said holder groove, a cam member movable with said housing having a cam surface connected to shivftgsaid second member and said grooving roller outwardly for forming said groove in the ier wa1l-,ffsid1c.up`. l,

4. Apparatus as set' forth-in lclair'riS in which said cam member ,comprises a finger extending axially into said supportimembery i'd'I having a-cailsurface enga',` gingl said second member.

References Citedjn the jle of Ithis patent .nu .;.Aea y. u Re i. en. UNITED STATES PATENTS M Aug. 7, 1928 Wixon et al. Mar. 27, 1951 

